1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a system and method for providing an instant messaging queue. In particular, the present invention relates to a system and method for limiting the number of active instant messaging sessions and queuing sessions over such maximum to a wait queue.
2. Description of the Related Art
Instant messaging has become a critical communications technology for many users and organizations. Instant messaging allows a user to create a “session” with one or more other users so that messages can be sent back and forth contemporaneously. The flow of messages in an instant message session creates a dialog between the user and other users with whom the user has established a session. In this manner, quick messages can be transmitted without sending an email message or telephoning the other user. Users can choose whether and when to respond to instant messages, much like an email message. However, unlike email messages, in instant messaging, a window is displayed on the user's display showing the messages between the user and another user.
Initially, instant messaging applications were perceived as an informal means for family and friends to chat online. However, businesses and other professional organizations have quickly adopted instant messaging as a key tool for business communications. Conference call attendees often engage in instant messaging sessions with certain people in the conference call or with other people not attending the conference call. These instant messaging sessions often allow the attendee to ask questions that would not be made verbally on the conference call, enabling conference calls attendee to be more informed and efficient.
Another use of instant messaging is providing technical support or assistance to others. In this regard, instant messaging is often preferred over telephone or email communications. The advantage of instant messaging over using the telephone is that, using instant messaging, one technician can provide assistance simultaneously to multiple parties, while using telephones would generally serialize the communication so that only one person could be assisted at a time. In addition, with many types of technical assistance, there are often delays that are incurred while the person receiving assistance performs various functions. Using instant messaging, these delays can be utilized to help others, while using the telephone these delays simply lengthen the amount of time before the next person can be assisted.
When providing assistance, either technical or otherwise, instant messaging is often preferred over email because of the “back and forth” nature of the instant messaging communication that generally makes the flow of information more efficient than using email. Often times the technician may need background, system, or other information to understand the nature of the problem and be able to suggest a course of action. Using instant messaging, the background, courses of action, and effectiveness of the various actions can be ascertained within a single instant messaging session. Using email, communicating this same “back and forth” information may take several separate email messages.
While instant messaging has distinct advantages over other forms of communication, it is not without its challenges. In traditional instant messaging applications, a virtually unlimited number of instant messaging sessions are possible with a virtually unlimited number of parties.
Having large numbers of instant messaging sessions may, in some cases, be “too much of a good thing,” and cause confusion and information overload for the user. This challenge is further exacerbated by the fact that the sender for each of the instant messaging sessions is unaware of the number of instant messaging sessions that the receiver has open. For example, if a computer help desk operator has 30 people that open instant messaging sessions in order to receive help, the operator can quickly become overwhelmed and be unable to efficiently and accurately help all of the requesters. At the same time, the requestors do not realize that the operator is currently trying to help 30 people and may become upset when the operator delays in answering their questions posed in their instant messaging sessions. In addition, the requesters may receive inaccurate information or suggestions from the operator due to the fact that the operator is trying to help too many people at the same time. This can further anger and frustrate the users that the operator is trying to help.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method that limits the number of simultaneous instant messaging sessions and queues requests that surpass the limit. In addition, what is also needed is a system and method that informs requesters of the number of current instant messaging sessions.